Stories, insights and ideas from Northeastern's J-school

Free is a word that everyone loves to hear. But free food, clothes and admission seldom happen. In Boston, residents are surrounded by several cultural institutions, such as world-class museums. However, these cultural institutions are hardly ever free to the general public.

For example, the Museum of Fine Arts, on a typical day, charges an adult $25 for admission. This can be a problem for many people that wish to see these great works of art, but simply cannot afford the ticket price. That’s why Smithsonian magazine has developed a solution not just for Boston residents, but for people across the country.

Every year, Smithsonian magazine sponsors Museum Day Live!, held on September 24 this year, where many museums offer free admission. In Boston, some of the museums that participated were the Old South Meeting House, Harvard’s art museums and Natural History Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts.

I decided to participate in the day by going to the Museum of Fine Arts. To participate in Museum Day Live! you have to visit the event’s website and follow the instructions to register. To register you must fill out a form stating your name, email address, and the museum you wish to visit. Once registered you are sent an email with two tickets for the museum you requested. That is the catch for the day, each registration allows for only two tickets and one museum.

Upon arriving to the museum I was directed to the ticketing desk. After showing the email, I was given the official ticket for the museum and was free to wander the museum for the rest of the day. A day of enjoyment that would have cost me $25 was now, thanks to a few clicks on the computer, completely free.